WELLINGTON, Dec 31 (Bernama-dpa) -- The Pacific will be the first region in the world to celebrate the New Year, with fireworks displays and public gatherings planned, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
As the first major centre to welcome 2026, landmarks of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, will set to be illuminated.
Photographs of “special moments” from 2025, submitted by the public, will be projected onto the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
A light and sound show on the Auckland Harbour Bridge will lead up to a midnight fireworks display from the Sky Tower (1100 GMT Wednesday).
The capital, Wellington, will also host fireworks and music at an inner-city lagoon.
Sydney, two hours behind New Zealand, will then take centre stage with celebrations over the city’s iconic harbour.
Over a million people are expected to watch as more than nine tonnes of fireworks light up the night sky.
The event will also offer “moments of unity and reflection” in the wake of the terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, where gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah, killing 15 people and injuring dozens.
During the evening, the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be illuminated in white, featuring the image of a dove and the word “Peace.” A minute of silence will also be observed.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the event provided an opportunity for the community to come together, reflect, and look forward with hope to a safer and more peaceful 2026.
"Sydney New Year's Eve is more than fireworks. It's a reflection of who we are – a vibrant, diverse and inclusive city. Those values are more important than ever."
Fireworks will also light up other major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
Kiribati’s largest island, Kiritimati, home to around 5,000 people, is the first inhabited island to welcome the New Year, although no major celebrations are planned.
American Samoa will be the last to ring in 2026.
--BERNAMA-dpa
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